let me finish tonight with this. dick cheney leads a certain type of republican. there are people that trust his word ignoring what he's done. he relies on the military instinctively. he likes military action. he offers himself as an oracle, a person who can see well into the future. yet, he's the one more than anyone was intent on taking us into iraq, claiming all the time would be treated as liberators. that there were nuclear weapons in the hands of sadham hussein. well, the question is when has dick che nurks ey been right? this weekend, he accused the president of what they call second-rate selections for a national security team.

john kerry who was nearly elected president? these people like dick cheney offer their wisdom so fleely. we need fewer appearages and fewer disappearages. that's it for "hardball," "politics nation" starts right now. >> thanks, chris. and thanks to you for tubing in. today, vice president biden who's leading the white house committee on gun violence pounded the message and called for action today in philadelphia. >> we cannot wait. the images of those innocent little children being riddled

with bullet holes has gripped the conscience of the nation. and the nation is demanding that we act responsibly. we can't wait. today, first lady michelle obama anoungsed her guest at the state of the union will be this woman, the grieving mother of a 15-year-old hadiya pendleton. shefgs just laid to rest after being shot and killed in a chicago park. days after attending the president's inaugural facilities. we learned today a bipartisan group of senators is closing on an agreement over how to expand background checks.

over 30, including the brother of this hero, victoria soto, the san sandyhook teacher who died protecting her students. this is a fight for all courageous victims of senseless tragedies and it's personal for this president. this hand hch written message from the president appeared on the program. it's a message to hadiya's family. in it, the president says that he is heartbroken by hadiya's death and he vows to fight to the end of senseless violence. this issue is personal for the president and for millions across the country. and we're seeing real urgency and more momentum.

>> let me go to you, first, congressman. it seems the energy is not letting up, is it? >> we had with the vice president today, the police commissioners from new york city, your hometown, philadelphia, baltimore, at l t atlantic city, wilmington delaware where there was a shoot k today where three people lost their lives. flfgs a real focus and a detailed discussion in multiple hours about how we move forward and how we make sure that what we do is truly effective. i think the vice president who said that every single recommendation he's made to the president, the president has adopt ds and embraed and embrac are very, very seerrious that t country takes a turn for the better on this issue of gun

violence. i believe that we're going to get it done. not only universal background checks, but i think we can do more than that. >> nia malika, when you start seeing a face put on this kind of malicious and despicable acts, i think that it helps to really bring home to people that this is not about partisan politics. this not about ideology. we're talking real life and real death. when you look at the mother, she talked about the pain of losing a child as the first lady attended the funeral. she was on this show last week, but she talked at the funeral about the pain of a mother. her, losing a child. listen to this.

>> you don't know how hard this is. and those of you that do know how hard this is, i'm sorry. no mother. no maury r father should ever have to experience this. >> this is oo p mother who's dealing with a 15-year-old child who did nothing wrong. killed. honor student. do you think it changes how the american public responds to this issue? >> we've seen the victimings of violence in inner cities really being greased in newspaper orts kals or aligned in the evening news. but here, they've been seen front and center.

>> and then some other folks in congress will also have victims of gun violence, whose family members have been possibly gunned down by gun violence. i think that's what's been so effective with this campaign. it really brought home the severity of a need over some reframing of the debate for some legislative action. and the president has had a lot of momentum and have really taken a lot from the nra. a lot of it has it with the president coming in their houses and grabbing guns. but instead, the real effects of

this violence and the effects it's had on families. >> now, congressman, when n nia malika mentions the nr aerks, a lot of us appears in the nra wisconsin this weekend. and he predicted all the attention on gun laws will fade away. listen to this. >> we have a strong agenda coming up for next year vnt. >> delayed as the connecticut effect. i mean, almost dismissive. we talk about 20 babies. connecticut effect goes through the process. they think it's just going to fade away, congressman. >> they're wrong. i have to give credit to someone who was not at the meeting, but

who has been prent sent on ever issue. when we see the tv commercial during the super bowl. liter literally,some 700 mayors fighting across the country on this front. congresswoman giffords has been running a game. it's so important that we duoand communicate with the public because the nra, they may love their guns, but d country, we lv our children. >> the day we learned steve stockman would bring ted nugen after making the following remarks during the nra raltly.

listen to what he said. >> >> barack obama becomes the president again, i will either be dead or in jail by this time next year. >> this is the man that congressman stockton is going to sit among the victimins tomorro night in the state of the union address. >> they actually ended up helping the president's cause. here you have a machb who's spoken this way. and then, on the contrary, you will have all of these people who have been victims of gun vie lenls.

ultimately, i think it will damage republican's cause and efforts to reframe and rename their party. >> i think we can digs agree, but the be that sensitive and arrogant to bring someone like that to the state of the union when the victims are going to be there, i think it sends a whole lot about those that oppose this. . coming up, new congress, same destructive war on women. senator kiersten gillibrad on the fight. and they whipped him, smeared him, blocked him, and it's still happening. but it's his turn. he's ready for the woolly pulpit. plus, what happens when someone talks down the bully?

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have you joined the "politics nation" on facebook yet? we hope you will. today, that conversation focused on the state of the union. across msnbc, we're asking our audiences to finish the iconic sentence that the president traditionally uses in his annual speech. the state of the union is blank.

my response? i say the state of the union is depending on us. it's better than the senate would like for us to believe. and diane says it's a new beginning. we've got a whole lot more about the bull's speech president obama's expectsed to make tomorrow coming up later in the show. but, first, we want you to tell us what you think the state of the union is, too. head over to fisbook to answer that question. that's facebook/.com and be sure to like us to nol low the conversation that keeps going long after the show ends. protect your family... and launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side. it will if it's new outlast stay fabulous foundation.

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tomorrow, the senate is expected to reknew the violence against women's act with new protections for women all across the country. but over in the house, gop leaders are refusing to say whether it's even getting a vote. the violence against women's act was renewed by an overwhelming majority in 2000. and then this year again in 2005. it has zero ru publy cans. zero. none. the big sticking point is they they don't want to extend prer

protection for native american women. you can't make it up, folks. >> joining me now is senator kiersten gillibrand of new york. >> the house republicans, why in the world would anybody vote against this kind of legislation? how could someone be opposed to the violence against women's act? >> well, i don't know, reverend. this has been a bill that's been bipartisan year after year. but for some reason, they're unwilling to protect women and protect their lives. every year, a thousand women are

killed by their spouses or partners. >> now, the right wing group, heritage action, is actually lobbying against it saying it hurts men, the act hurts men. and let me read you a quote, they say. >> men effectively lose their tugszal rights. it is unprecedented, unnecessary and danger. i mean, what are they talking about? >> it's s ee's simply not true. what they're talking about, specific whether i, is women who live on indian reservations.

>> now, the gop senator agreed, really. >> now, are republicans really claiming that they're protecting women somehow, violates the constitutional rights of men? >> i think native american women should be protected like every other group in our koun fri. >> the whole defense of this and trying to distract the issue, i think in 2013, is almost unthinkable. i think most americans would feel this is unfathomable.

>> it's uncon shen blt. i think we should come together. >> now, when you look at the data, the effect that this had in the past has shown that this legislation has been effective and that's why we need to continue to have it enforced and have it reauthorize lt. that that's exactly right. >> now, they had a retreat

recently and at that you are retreat, house republicans had a workshop, listen to this, senator, on how to talk to women and minorities. i think they flunk the class. they may needs a refresher course. >> when women overvoted, they put women's rights at the top of the agenda, who believe in equal pay for equal work, who believe that women own businesses to get access to capital. >> here's what they'd be voting against if they vote it against in the house. >> for college campus, sexual assault and new housing protection for victims. i think that it's something that

we need to all call our house representative. thank you, jat tor. >> ahead, president obama's big power play against republicans. he won, they lost. and they're about to hear all about it. did you hear this? dick cheniy is talking mad about national security. it's almost too easy. next. in america today we're running out of a vital resource we need

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former vice president dick cheney has been busy lately. he was worried about president obama's gun safety proposals. and now he's criticizing the president's national security nominees. cheney says the performance now of barack obama as he stabs up

the narcotic security team for the second term is dismal. now, the former vice president is certainly able to disagree with the vice president's ideas. kerry and hagel are under president bush. and, anyway, who is mr. cheney to criticize on national security issues. r let's take a look at his first rate record. >> simply stated, there is no doubt that sadham hussein has weapons of mass destruction. >> things have gotten so bad

inside iraq, my belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators. >> did mr. cheney think he koumd call president obama's team second rate? without ri minding us what he's done? nice try, but we gotchya. does that make a difference? search "cost of financial advisors" ouch. over time it really adds up. then go to e-trade and find out how much our advice costs. spoiler alert: it's low. really? yes, really. e-trade offers investment advice and guidance from dedicated, professional financial consultants. it's guidance on your terms, not ours. that's how our system works. e-trade. less for us. more for you. we all work remotely so this is a big deal, our first full team gathering! i wanted to call on a few people. ashley, ashley marshall... here. since we're often all on the move, ashley suggested we use fedex office to hold packages for us. great job. [ applause ] thank you. and on a protocol note, i'd like to talk to tim hill

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ask your doctor if including advair could help improve your lung function. get your first full prescription free and save on refills at advaircopd.com. i will not negotiate around the debt ceiling. they will not collect a ransom in exchange for the american economy. ordinary folks, they do their jobs. the notion that the elected leadership can do the same thing is mind boggling. it needs to stop. everybody here upts e understands this. this is not a complicated concept. >> the president is not backingdown from republicans. he's bringing the fight to them. today, we learn these executive actions on housing, gay rights and other issues. a gig move to bypass do-noeg

republicans in congress. priding congress to pass his agenda and he's getting help from the american people to prod them, too. and those same su prters will launch a public out reach campaign to promote his agenda. then he'll take his vision on the road. as the president has said, change doesn't come from inside. it comes from outside. it comes from the people.

>> for we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do were well and a groix many bare lif make it. >> the election four years ago wasn't about me. tfsz about you. >> my fellow citizens, you were the change. we, the people helped bring about change before and we the people can do it again. joining me now are maria theresa cumar and angela wry. angela how important is it for the president president to go outside the beltway to create change inside washington. >> public pressure because the

president has got to continue to emphasize that we, the people, are the united states of america, not the divided states of america, right? at some point, we have to heed the public pressure. we have to heed the public out cry for what is needed to really move this country forward. >> you know, maria theresa, they view as cut from the same cloth. the administrative officials calls the same speeches two acts of the same play. does that meenl that we'll see the same focus we the people in the state of the union tomorrow night? >> i think what we saw in inauguration is him moving toward a progressive agenda. the fact that it's gone to the social media waves and people are really galvanizing behind it, you're going to see the exact same thingd tomorrow. whether she talks about the economy. it's a perfect time to talk

about se kwesz trags and really talk about who are the people that are blocking the potential cuts to government. he actuallily has a bully pull pet to say you saw me in act one with my inauguration speech. act two is not only am i going to talk to you tomorrow, but i i'm going to talk to you the rest of the week and go down to nk nec and other parts of the country. we're talking people-to-people to make sure that you can galvanize and contact your legislation and our agenda passes. >> that is what's interesting to me, angela, he's going right after the speech on a conference call with grass roots organizers around the country. it's like he's campaigning all over again.

it definitely a form of chasm paining. listen, i'm going to get out here and i'm going to continue to move. i'm going to continue to act and continue to line up the american people only my side on the messaging because they're on my side on the issues. >> where are you on electoral e reform and fixing elections. and i don't mean the fixing that we've seen in the past. >> be clier, angela, be clear. >> now, maria, let me ask you this. i saw usa today made a point. 40 million people are expected to watch the state of the union address. yes, he'll be playing to the 40 million people.

he'll be trying to reach them and deal with them. but he'll also be speaking to four individuals, senator marco spsz rubio on imgrags. congress paul ryan on the budget and jusz tis anthony kennedy on the same-sex marriage. how important is that to the president's agenda and the future of the country? >> he needs to make sure he brings folks like rubio who is on the citizen ship from immigration. he needs to show an olive branch to him that he's going to help him along. with senator finestein, he needs to say i'm going to stand next to you. but with kennedy, it's going to be curious. he has to drill in to kennedy that kennedy can be the vote that basically cements his legacy of whether or not he did decide to pass same-sex marriage. the more he can emphasize that tomorrow, the president, on the

state of the union, i think can move him along to make sure he does the right thing, as well. >>. >> now, angela, there's been some tension e tension on whether thern going to play with age requirements for medicare. the white house, today, took that off the table. they ruled out raising the medicare eligibility age to cut spending. hoi significant is that to calming down some of the tensions on the center and the left? >> i think very important. again, when you look at what this white house kwonts to do, the employees and the vice president continue to listen. what are the things that we can't afford to compromise on and what are the things dha we can afford to compromise on. also, going back to who the president needs to speak to at

the state of the union who recollects is in attendance. sometimes, the most important messaging aspects at the state of the union are who is in the room? and who are the chosen invitees. i think it's critical that you even look at the speak er speake dechl democratic leader peloss o i. i think there's a lot that democrats can do to watch out for messaging in the state of the union. >> yeah, and to have that fourth grader there and o and celebrate ted nugent still bothers me. but let me ask you this. when you look at the fact that senator rand paul was asked to give the tea party response. it would be seen as the advice that there's a republican response. listen to this.

>> to me, i see it as an extra response. i don't see it as anything on there that oh, marco rubio is wrong. >> not necessarily decisive. >> if you recall, she was looking at the wrong tell prompter. that's how off she was with her message. but what ranld palm is demonstrating is that the republican party can't get their act together. and that's why even though they keep saying that they want to rebrand, that he keep having the squeaky wheem. and that, i think, is only detrimental to the republican party. >> well, maria, theresa, the wrong tell prorpter wasn't the only thing that was wrong. maria sa, thank you very much

for your time. and we'll be here for all the fun tomorrow night all night long. ahead, the right wing sde rachkment is over. you think so? think again. a major figure has an explosive statement a day before the big speech. what happens when the birther bully goes down? bill mawr unloads on donald trump. it's must-see tv. that's next. it's a new day.

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the birther bully goes down. remember donald trump was the toast of the gop? he went crazy and got all kinds of attention for it. days before the election, he was there after dinner breaks.

>> all he has to do to get $5 million for charities of his choice is to immediately give his applications and records. and, also, to release his passport records. >> i wonder why he'd want the president's records? comedian bill mawr -- >> suppose he had been the spawn of his mother having sex with an orangatang. >> is that the same color hair? jay, i wonder what that was for. >> i'm not saying it's true. i hope it's not true. but unless he comes up with

proof, i'm willing to offer $5 million to donald trump. >> and then, this actually really happened. this is not the onion. this is real. trump's attorneys sent a letter to maher asking for the $5 million was french, not an orangutan. so the lawsuit from trump is now official. but the bully met his match. the birther king went down. mr. maher, what do you say about this? >> this is known as parody. it's a form of something we in the comedy business call a draw.

that's how we roll here in america. we love celebrities. we just need to knock them down a peg. so, don, just suck it up. >> his lawyer sent me a letter. attached here is a copy of mr. trump's birth certificate demonstrating he's not an orangutan grksz. and look at the lawyer's signature. it just kind of trails off, as if to say i'm too embarrassed to even finish this. this is not a libel case. no, no, no. they seem to be trying to set a bold new president and jokes on late-night talk shows are now legally binding agreements. between the comedian and the person they're making fun of. yes, i'm sure this will go all the way to the supreme kourlt.

you know, i'll tell you something, the legal system in this country, it's not a joke. it's not a toy. >> joe madison and dana millbank. thanks, guys. before i start, i'm looking at his background. i was a little sick and hoarse on friday night. >> you're talking to me? i can't stop laughing, man. they aulgt to disbar him for even taking this case. can you imagine having your lawyer do this? i mean, the lawyer is the one who should have said get out of my face. here's the other thing. donald trump, they actually sent

a copy of trump's birth ser tiff cat. >> donald trump should have learned his lesson at the white house correspondence dinner a couple of years ago when president obama jammed him up -- and i mean embarrassed him and with parody, also. it was worse than ridiculous. and can you imagine now the course that you've got to spend money filing these papers. and that's what they augt to do. how much is it costing taxpayers to go through with this ridiculous nousz. one thing that finally donald trump should learn is something that newspaper people have learned years ago, you not argue with millions of people in their audience. and you have only an audience of one. and that's the person you're looking at the in mirror.

>> dana, let me ask you this. i almost want to say -- yeah, i want to almost say shadow senator mill bank. but we had some fun, you know, with donald trump's birth certificate. but bill maher. here's what he really said. >> here's what you really put out. it's the short form. not a birth certificate. it was clearly made on a dot matrix printer and it was a scannable bar code. where's the original long form certificate? a short form unsigned by an attending physician isn't proof of anything. >> you know, it's kind of funny,

but when the roles are reversioned, you see not only how you can take things and do what you want, dana. it also shows how ludicrous some of the things they did to the president was. >> yeah, reverend al. i think bill maher is onto something here. it may be more skand loucandalo you realize. i'm willing to give a hundred dollars to a hair salon of donald trump's choice if he can prove that that birth certificate was not forged by january bruer. i hope that's not true. but i have no not seen any evidence that it's not true. >> i'll tell you what -- >> what? >> i'm offering the cash here. >> i just want everyone to be clear that he's got the hundred dollars. >> i'll match it. i've got a hundred here. i'll match it. that's a hundred.

>> i'm in the capital, reverend al. they just throw cash around here. >> i mean, here we have all of these wages. but, you know, on a serious note, the birthers are have dpoej unbeliefble things over the past few years. >> all i want to do is see this guy's birth ser fif cat. >> it's not the piece of garbage that obama provided during the 2008 election. >> i don't know if ba rrksz aurks ck obama was born of the united states or not. >> i cannot in good faith report to you that these adopts are authentic. >> you are not allowed to be a president if you were not born in this country. the question is is it legitimate. >> perhaps it's going to say

hawaii. perhaps it's going to say kenya. >> joe, will these birthers ever give up this whole birther quest? >> not as long as barack obama is black. let's be honest. let's be straight forward about this. we live in a country where you're cultural conditions if you're black, undervalued, underestimated and marginalized. and that's what they're trying to do with this president. they can't live with the fact that he's smart, he's bright, he call caught bin laden. he's done things that the other administration tried to do and couldn't do. quite honestly, i think it's time to put these guys to rest. call it a day. call it what it is. and the reality is that this is what it's all about. they just won't say it straight out like i'm saying it. but everybody else knows that this is true. and i'm really tired of beating

around the bush. here's a man like ted nugent who says he's going to be dead or in jail. >> i sure don't want to see him sitting among victims of violence tomorrow night. >> let's see if he's a man of his word. >> dana, let me say this to you as we get ready to go with your wages. do you think this whole climate has now shifted with if reelection of the climate and on most americans on dismissing these birthers as the clowns of the politics of 2012? >> certainly, i think the birthers are yesterday's news. the other thing, did they photo shop the skeet shooting photo? there's always been this conspiracy theory element that's always been on the fringes. what's happening now is you have

mainstream, or what had been mainstream figures like donald trump out to the mainstream. that's what's different i. now. >> joe madison and dana mi millbank, next time, you guys tell me what you really think. [ male announcer ] you are a business pro. executor of efficiency. you can spot an amateur from a mile away... while going shoeless and metal-free in seconds. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle...and go.

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